


Trouble in St. Petersburg

by crippledboyfriend



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Chronic Pain, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-19 10:54:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11896263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crippledboyfriend/pseuds/crippledboyfriend
Summary: Yuuri struggles with knowing how to handle behavioural problems from Yurio when he stays with him and Viktor and questions if their current living situation in St. Petersburg is for the best. Viktor’s past back injury seems to bother him more in the cold weather and Yuuri wants to take Viktor to see a doctor about it, but Viktor knows that it’s not safe to go together as a couple. Yuuri’s worried there’s something wrong with his fiancè and wants to be able to understand what’s going on with his health, and to make the day more difficult, Viktor also happens to be fighting a cold.





	1. What Happened to Viktor?

Yurio sat on the couch, looking anxious as he scrolled around on his computer.  
Yuuri tried to ignore him and give him a bit of space. The boy hadn’t been up for long.  
“Viktor still asleep?” asked Yurio. Puma Tiger Scorpion looked at Yuuri with a sneaky expression.  
“Yeah,” Yuuri nodded. “I’ll wake him up if he’s still lying around for much longer.”  
“You don’t need to do that,”  
“Yeah, I do,” Yuuri smiled. “I told him I would. Just because it’s our day off doesn’t mean he should sleep all day.”  
Yurio looked behind Yuuri nervously, as if something caught his eye. Yuuri looked back and then tried to make eye contact with Yurio again, but he was focused on his computer.   
“What was that about?” Yuuri wondered.  
As Yuuri turned to leave, Yurio asked,  
“He hungover or something?”  
“I don’t think so,” smiled Yuuri. He actually liked how often Viktor ended up hungover. On average Viktor would wake up vomiting liquor once a week, and Yuuri would pamper him and take care of his fiancè as if he were sick with something.  
“He okay?”  
“Yeah,” Yuuri gave an unsure nod.  
“Sometimes I worry about that old geezer,” said Yurio, still not looking up. “He makes me wonder if he’s sick…like my grandpa, or my mom.”  
“Hey…” Yuuri sat down next to the boy.  
“I don’t know why I’m thinking about it more than usual,” Yurio spoke quickly. “Just kind of woke up like it.”  
“That happens to me, too, sometimes.” Yuuri admitted.  
“It just spirals out of control,” said Yurio. “And when I get too stressed out, it’s hard to hear and see, like that’s a coping method that makes things any easier.” Yurio swore in Russian.  
“Um, could you tell me a little more about that?” Yuuri asked curiously, feeling like he was getting closer to actually being able to help the blonde with his problems.  
“No,” Yurio said simply. “Maybe another time. But—“  
Yuuri patiently waited for Yurio to explain.  
“Just…” Yurio struggled to find what to say. “Don’t bring this up again.”  
“You—,” Yuuri sighed, not knowing the words either. “I’ll try to let you come to me.”  
Yurio seemed satisfied with that, so Yuuri excused himself to get some water. He was a bit more anxious now, too.  
“Maybe I should get Viktor to talk to him more about what’s been going on,” Yuuri wondered. “He might not say anything unless he absolutely has to.” Viktor wasn’t quick to explain his problems to Yuuri, either. Yuuri didn’t know what was going on for a while, and struggled to piece it together through hints. After seeing Viktor as perfect for so long, Yuuri was a bit oblivious, and something always seemed to distract them when Viktor was about to open up.  
But one night, when Viktor was particularly miserable, they did start a dialogue about it. Viktor’s back ached, and he kept making Yuuri get up to bring more alcohol to their bedroom. Yuuri decided to confront him, and said,  
“Hey, Viktor? I’d like to see how you feel sober next time you think you’re going to spend the night in a lot of pain. Just to see what would happen,”   
Getting upset, Viktor looked down with his beautiful cyan eyes.  
“No, my Yuuri, something’s wrong and it absolutely can’t be fixed by staying sober.”  
Yuuri ran to fill up Viktor’s glass.  
As he handed it back to him, he sat down and stroked Viktor’s cheek.  
“Why do you say that?” Yuuri asked, his heart nervously thumping.  
“I’ve tried a lot of things to see if they could make me feel better,” Viktor promised. “It’s not easy for me to admit to myself I can’t do things like I used to anymore. But it’s not as simple as just not drinking or getting more exercise.”  
“But maybe there’s something you haven’t thought of,” suggested Yuuri. “I want to help.”  
“Believe me, I want to be just how I used to be, too.” Viktor promised.  
“So, if natural things don’t work and acting as healthy as you can doesn’t either…” Yuuri’s expression looked dark. “Then what do you think makes some days so hard for you?”  
“I’m getting old,”  
“You’re not that old, Viktor,” Yuuri insisted. “Really. You’re not some teenager who does z-spirals anymore, and maybe you’re not able to compete anymore, but this? This isn’t normal.”  
“Well, I’ve had some major injuries in my career, Yuuri —“  
“Yes, and I get that I don’t have much experience with that,” Yuuri admitted. “I’ve been lucky. But you shouldn’t be doing worse like this right after you retire.”  
“Well,” Viktor tried to explain. “It was actually very hard to finish my last season. I was in horrible pain. I just powered through it. Like I do plenty of times when we go out sight-seeing or I help you and Yurochka with your routines out on the ice, да?”  
“But tonight for example…” Yuuri started. “How do you feel compared to practicing last season?”  
“Not as bad, because I’m resting,” said Viktor. “You’ve said yourself that I can ask you to do things so —“  
“Yes, yes, of course that’s still true,” Yuuri started to worry that his explanation was coming off the wrong way. “But just so we’re on the same page about how you’re doing, imagine if you were out on the ice practising for the Grand Prix Final. How would your back feel compared to doing the same thing last season?”  
“Well, there are a lot of factors involved in a scenario like that. I haven’t used my muscles that way in a while,” said Viktor. “But, I guess that my back is more sensitive. And I’ve wanted to put up with it less because it’s not getting any better.”  
“Exactly,” said Yuuri. “You’re not healing right.”  
“My back healed normally!” Viktor insisted. “The doctor said so. Don’t worry, my love. You worry so much and think things are worse than you are.”  
“Well…” Yuuri almost let Viktor trick him. “No, no, I’m not just worrying! You’re in a lot of pain!”  
“I’m in a normal amount for what happened,”  
“No, no, I don’t think you are,” Yuuri argued. “This shouldn’t be this bad for this long if it healed normally.”  
“Yuuri, are you sure you know what you’re talking about?” asked Viktor. “Just relax with me. We can just accept this. I’ve healed as best as I can.”  
“I think you need a second opinion,” said Yuuri. “At the very least…I don’t think a Japanese doctor would say that.”  
“My doctor’s very professional, Yuuri,” said Viktor. “I know my country isn’t as fancy as yours, but St. Petersburg is not really that different at all.”  
“I’m just scared,” said Yuuri. “Maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about, but you’re not happy like this, and I can’t help but think that there’s something we could do, or at worst a reason why you’re feeling so horrible.”  
“I really don’t think I need to put myself through another appointment and more tests,” Viktor explained with a frown, trying to tug at Yuuri’s heartstrings. “I hate going to the doctor.”  
“Viktor, I understand, I hate going, too, and it makes me miserable to know how badly you need another checkup.” Yuuri was getting upset. Viktor had done the opposite of what he wanted when eliciting sympathy from his sweet fiancè.  
“But, I think things will be much worse if we let whatever’s wrong go untreated.” Yuuri told his lover. “I’m sorry, but something needs to be done for you. I’ll do whatever I can to make it more comfortable. I just really think that it would be worth it to get another doctor’s opinion.”  
“Yuuri, it’s not that bad, it…” Viktor looked in Yuuri’s eyes. “It. It could be worse. But yes. Maybe something not so obvious went wrong with the healing process.”  
“Right, I’m not saying the doctor made a horrible decision, your scar looks fine and you look beautiful,” rambled Yuuri. “But maybe there’s another small surgery that could stop these bad nights from happening, or some medicine. And if you’re getting sick, maybe we could catch it early and stop it before it’s too late.”  
“Alright,” Viktor gave Yuuri a quick peck on the cheek. “Would it make you feel better if we tried to arrange this with your Japanese doctor you speak so highly of?”  
“No, we can go to a hospital in St. Petersburg.” Yuuri leaned into Viktor. “I just want to make sure you’re in good hands. If they don’t do everything I’d expect in a Russian hospital, we could make some requests and figure it out from there.”  
“I’ll start looking for a new doctor tomorrow,” Viktor promised. “What all would you like them to do?”  
“Oh, just normal stuff,” said Yuuri. “I’ll have to think about it… But, I’ll just point it out if they seem to miss something, like if they don’t want to do scans of your back, or, I don’t know…”  
“You research this beforehand, too, да?” Viktor said as he finished his drink. “That way I’ll be able to ask for everything you want done.”  
“Yeah, of course. I need to read up on what should be done to troubleshoot when you think your doctor might not have noticed something in sport injuries like that, and minor complications that could’ve been glossed over in surgery… God, I need to hurry up and get fluent in Russian. This is all so much harder with how I’m not going to be able to understand a word the doctor says.”  
“Yuuri,” Viktor narrowed his eyebrows. “You don’t think you’re coming with me to my examination, do you?”  
“Of course I’m coming,” said Yuuri.  
“Yuuri. People don’t take kindly to couples like us here. I can take you to the rink’s doctor as an assistant coach, especially because you don’t speak the language, but there’s no reason for a man to go watched me get poked at,”  
“I don’t care what they think,”  
“You should,” said Viktor. “Here, you should. You are going to practise that day like you always do.”  
“Viktor, I should be able to take you to the doctor. That’s ridiculous.”  
“No, love,” Viktor cooed. “It is a sin and will stay secret.”  
“Viktor, they’ve got to know you’re gay,” Yuuri argued. “It’s obvious.”  
“No, it’s not,” said Viktor. “People don’t think we’re among them, and it’s safest to keep it that way. Your innocence is so charming. Hasetsu really is a lovely place.”


	2. Catching Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor complains that he's come down with a cold, and while Yuuri isn't sure if there’s a genuine problem or not, he’s still very interested in pampering his fiancé and having some kinky sex because of it.

Yuuri quietly crept into him and his fiancé’s bedroom. Viktor was moving around under the blankets, his hair a mess.  
“I think I have a fever,” Viktor groaned.  
Yuuri sat down next to Viktor on what he believed was the comfiest bed in the world.  
He cupped the top of Viktor’s head with his large hand to feel his fiancé’s forehead, and brushed his thumb over his headache. He didn’t feel too out of the ordinary.  
“Maybe you have a little temperature,”  
“I’m freezing,” Viktor complained.  
“Because you aren’t moving at all,” said Yuuri, but he didn’t want to argue with Viktor too much. He half-wondered if he was just going to be called a fun sucker like he had in the past when Viktor was drunk and telling him that he had a fever. Yuuri informed Viktor that it was normal to think his face had warmed up, but Viktor was trying to play with him.  
Makkachin jumped off of the bed, and Yuri felt Viktor’s neck.  
“Hm,”  
“What kind of ‘hm’ is that?” Viktor was nearly whining.  
“Your colour is a little pale,”  
“Will you take my temperature?” Viktor looked in Yuuri’s eyes.  
“Of course, Viktor.”  
Viktor started to fall back asleep as Yuuri got the thermometer from the bathroom.  
Viktor didn’t seem to notice Yuuri come back, but stirred as his fiancé sat down on the bed again.  
“Don’t move,” Yuuri said sweetly as he turned the thermometer on and held it in front of his face. “I’m going to put it in your mouth.”  
“No, Yuuri,” Viktor whined. “I don’t particularly care for when you check orally, I’m too stuffy. Just do it like a normal person. I’m not even good at holding it in my mouth. I’ll sneeze it out.” Viktor struggled to blow his nose. His ear and right nostril ached as he failed.  
Yuuri chuckled and ran his fingers through Viktor’s hair in attempt to fix it up a bit.  
“You’re so whiny and out of it today,” Yuuri said as he pushed Viktor’s part in the right direction. He then tenderly placed the thermometer in Viktor’s armpit.  
“I just don’t really like that method. I don’t care if it’s what you grew up with, it’s dumb,” Viktor’s sleepy argument became intelligible with his stuffy accent.  
“Baby, I can’t understand you,” Yuuri frowned and rested his hand on his fiancé’s hair.  
Speaking slower, Viktor continued.  
“And it’s not what I use for my family. I take you and Yurio’s temps under your arms because I love you both and taking temp in the armpit is more sanitary, and my Yuri’s can keep hydrated and not worry about sipping on hot tea affecting the reading. Plus, I can easily check it in your sleep.”  
Yuuri gazed at his beautiful lover. He had such light hair and pale skin.  
Viktor gave Yuri a peck on the cheek.  
“That’s all unless you’re really ill, of course. Then I must insist the rectal method is best for my sweets.” Viktor tapped Yuuri’s nose with a smile, and then changed his expression to a frown. “Last time I had to check the other way, Yurio was so feverish he cried out of humiliation. Broke my heart, but I was forced to make him. I just had to pet his hair and comfort him; tell him that it’s not embarrassing and extremely necessary in his situation. It’s also what his paediatrician thinks is best. I told him it was all OK and to just lay down and and enjoy the attention. But he never takes my great advice.”  
“Rectal?” Yuuri leaned back in disbelief. “Like a dog?”  
“Or like a kitten,” Viktor made a pawing motion with his hand. “にゃう.”  
“Wait,” Yuuri moved his arms uncomfortably. “Did you say, ‘enjoy the attention’? Could you EVER enjoy the attention at his age?”  
“As best I could…” Viktor moved on. “He was already upset because I wouldn’t let him visit his grandpa when I heard his cough start. And then he took a nap! He couldn’t be well,”  
“That can’t be true,” Yuuri laughed and blushed. “Yurio can’t LET you do that.”  
“He’s very compliant when that unwell, and he knows the rule if his temp hits 102. He’s precious, I have to get an accurate reading,” Viktor looked off and frowned. “But, he will beg me not to sometimes, and there’s always a slight bit of complaining.”  
Viktor flipped his hair back to dramatically give the effect of starting a scene as he impersonating Yurio saying,  
“Don’t you have anything better to do, old man?” and then clicked his tongue in frustration.  
“Last time I just said, ‘Can I take your temperature?’ he said ‘no’ and I meant under his arm, and he knew it.”  
“That sounds like him!” Viktor snapped his fingers as he pointed at Yuuri and grinned. “I said, ‘Yuri, I’ve got to take a rectal temperature’ and he whined, ‘No, you really don’t have to’. I agree sick touches are cute, but I can see how he could think the armpit is still a bit awkward. I don’t think his reaction was absurd.”  
Yuuri listened to Viktor overshare in shock. He regreted that he even asked about Viktor’s comment on taking the younger skater’s temperature. The more they talked, the worse it got.  
“You’re not the Yuri I thought would put up a big fight about it,” Viktor teased, and then dramatically added. “His temperature was just awful. I had to make sure his fever wasn’t so bad I needed to drive him to the hospital. It’s so difficult, though. His little bottom isn’t used to intrusions, so he’ll involuntarily try to push it out. If you ever need to use the baby thermometer, hold on to the end for him. He’ll bitch, but it’s better than having to reinsert.”  
“There is no way I can force him to do that,” Yuuri spoke with confidence. “That’s gonna stay your job.”  
“It’ll only ever happen in emergencies,” Viktor said casually. “Are Japanese people squeamish about that?” Viktor poked Yuuri’s chest, and Yuuri started to move erratically again and stuttered. Viktor, however, continued.  
“He was having tiny little throw ups all night that time he cried. He’s got such a small stomach that hardly anything was coming out,” Viktor moved his neck and made a motion with his hand like a cat having a hairball. “He was so dehydrated he was shaking. Sweet little baby. He was actually being clingy when feeling like that. His whole body hurt. I had told Yakov about his first vomit, and after the 4th, I had to just ask him to come over. We both stayed up with our poor little Yurochka until the gatorade Yakov had been forcing in him started to hold in his belly. It was a miserable night. I can’t stand seeing him in pain and upset. It was already 6 by then, so we took him down to the university hospital for the first regular doctor’s appointment of the day and had him prescribed some anti-nausea medication. It turned him into a shuddering mess, but he stopped puking completely and we got him rehydrated without intravenous fluids.”  
“Oh my god. That poor thing,” said Yuuri “And poor you, too. I can’t picture you forcing him to do anything.”  
“Tissue,” Viktor requested, his nose scrunching up.  
Yuuri quickly got Viktor one so he wouldn’t have to move while getting his temperature taken. They waited for Viktor to sneeze into the tissue, and then Viktor got back to their conversation as if nothing happened, both of them perfectly used to those sort of interruptions in Viktor’s speech.  
“Oh, of course. It was very difficult,” Viktor said dramatically. “But that’s parenting, Yuuri.”  
“Does…he doesn’t get sick much, correct?”  
“Oh, no, no,” Viktor tried to calm his fiancé. “He gets sick as much as any other healthy kid. Maybe a little more from all the travel, but a little less from being in great shape so it all evens out. Relax.”  
“Oh, thank god,” Yuuri spoke quickly. “I just starting thinking and —“  
“He’s fine,” Viktor cut Yuuri off. “That was just one old memory. We have a very healthy little boy.” Viktor smiled.  
“So healthy, in fact, that I can’t convince him to rest when he does catch something, so he gets hit with it hard,” Viktor gazed lovingly into Yuuri’s eyes. “And I think he’s getting closer to you. Soon I bet Yurio will be comfy climbing in bed with me again!”  
“I can’t even picture that,”  
“He’s just been off because he doesn’t do change well,” Viktor insisted. “I love having our cute boy here. We’re so responsible!”   
Yuuri leaned forward to inspect the thermometer nestled under his fiancé’s arm, concerned that it wasn’t working right since he hesitated between turning it on and putting it in place. The number slowly crawled up from 97.1 to 97.2, and then 97.3.  
Yuuri stopped watching it so carefully and mentioned,  
“This it take a while to register,”  
Viktor was breathing though his mouth. He usually doesn’t for the sake of vanity, and while it took him a long time to be comfy with it around Yuuri, he finally believes his fiancé now when he says that he thinks it’s cute. He’ll only do it at home, though, because he knows Yuuri is strange, and still finds it unacceptable around others. He’s ashamed to show any weakness unless he’s drunk.  
The thermometer went off and Yuuri gently slipped it out.  
“Oh,” Yuuri read as he held the thermometer close to his face. “That’s a healthy Viktor temperature.”  
“Yuuri, how could you be so insensitive,” Viktor dramatically moved his now free arm to rest the back of his hand on the top of his head. “I’m frail and sickly. Just like you like me.”  
“はい、はい、but the temperature of your sweet body isn’t reflecting that.”   
“You should double check it,” Viktor twirled his hair around his finger, and then moved his hand to feel around to feel his cheek in a few places, beckoning Yuuri to join in the exam. “I’m really ill.”  
“Aww, you sick puppy,” Yuuri stood and touched Viktor’s bare chest. Viktor grabbed Yuuri and pulled him close back in bed with him. Yuuri kissed his fiancé’s nose, and Viktor pulled him down so he could loudly kiss him back.  
Yuuri forced Viktor’s tongue out of his mouth as he tried to retreat again, giggling,  
“I’ll be right back! I’ve just got to get our thermometer for you,”

Viktor slapped Yuuri’s ass as he climbed back in bed. Yuuri stumbled a bit, but Viktor pretended he didn’t notice and gracefully rolled onto his stomach. He raised up his hips slightly, as much as he could without causing his back extra pain. Viktor does hurt himself to be sexy, sometimes, but he didn’t have it in him at the moment.  
Yuuri smeared lubrication on his fiancé. Poised and glistening, Yuuri lustfully gazed at Viktor’s anus.  
“Your hole is such a pretty pink, oh my gosh~” Yuuri said softly. He quickly shoved the thermometer in and nearly jerked it out in a few erotic motions, but then he left the thermometer in to take Viktor’s temperature.  
Viktor was a bit disappointed, but Yuuri still gets off to medical equipment functioning and really did care to keep tabs on his fiancé’s health. From how Viktor seemed, he still wasn’t quite sure if Viktor was completely faking it for him or not. He could’ve easily just been having one of his more difficult days with allergies. They spent a fair amount of time outside the morning before, so it made sense.  
Yuuri rubbed Viktor’s back, and Viktor let out a soft moan. Yuuri smiled and continued massaging him.  
“I’m so glad I’ll always have you to take care of me and our children,” Viktor raised his hand and they touched engagement rings. “It sure is fun when you take my temperature in my ass.” Viktor reached back and groped himself, making Yuuri gasp. Heart pounding, he argued,  
“I-I don’t have to, I just agreed that it is better and—“  
“No harm in getting some pleasure out of what’s best for you,” Viktor teasingly promised. “Yuuri, I’d think you of all people would love the excuse to attach some more sexuality to my frail situation…”  
“Oh, like I’m not the one that got you into it,” Yuuri blushed, feeling mocked.  
“Well, I guess it didn’t excite me that much before you,” Viktor admitted. “It was just a thing that happens to sickies with high fevers that feels kinda good, and that’s embarrassingly so, since in most cases it’s not like it’s done by anyone you want doing it. You’re usually not lucky enough to have a nurse this sexy to play with.” Viktor looked over his shoulder and gave Yuuri a wink and a smirk. While turning away, he added,  
“Not that it hasn’t been a bit fun when forced to take care of myself, with nobody but Makkachin to keep me company when dehydrated with a high fever…” At the mention of her name, the poodle leaped back onto the bed and tickled the back of Viktor’s neck. As Yuuri reached to pull Makkachin back by her collar, Viktor had other ideas and praised Makkachin for coming at the sound of her name by laughing and scratching her chin.  
“Of course you did make me feel better with your cuddles, Makka,” said Viktor. “Good girl~”  
Makkachin barked and then hopped of the bed to sniff around by the closet.  
Viktor shifted onto his side a bit, and with the dog off the bed, Yuuri started to lie down beside him.  
“She tried to give me a puppy massage,” Viktor explained with a smile. He made the motion of paws digging.  
“Woof~”  
“You’re adorable,” Yuuri kissed his oblivious, supportive fiancé on the head.  
Viktor gazed at Yuuri with beautiful, tired eyes while Yuuri wondered how he ever found someone willing to do such intimate things with him, much less his favourite celebrity and the most inspirational person in his entire life. He kissed Viktor, slowly changing the kiss into a deep one.  
“You need to let me do this when you’re sick, too,” Viktor kissed Yuuri, squeezing one of his thick thighs. “This is amazing~it’s making me feel so much better.”  
Opening his eyes and pulling back a bit, Yuuri brought up,  
“I don’t want to make you sick,” Yuuri continued the kiss as Viktor sniffled.  
“You won’t,” Viktor insisted as he broke away for a second to breathe before diving back in.  
“I’ll get you sick,” Yuuri said, trying to be a bit realistic since he knew Viktor as the type to make anything sexual. He didn’t want to encourage Viktor just to dive right in the second Yuuri catches something.  
“I’m going to get you sick doing this,” Viktor stroked Yuuri’s hair and sucked at his neck.  
“I’m not in pain all the time already and my immune system is much better,”  
“But this feels so nice, Yuuri~” Viktor dreamily said as he pulled back and smooched Yuuri on the lips. “I want to make you feel like this when you catch cold.”  
“Only if you’re the one who gave it to me,” Yuuri began to kiss Viktor’s neck.  
“Aww,” Viktor lightly complained. “But I’m so attractive and I want to pamper you and make you feel sexy.”  
“Yes, but beside that…” Yuuri explained. “…in a kinky sense, I’d much rather you be my patient, anyway.”  
His voice so stuffy that it was hard to understand his accent, Viktor added,  
“I see what you like about it though,” with a sniffle at the end. “I’d say you took care of me like I was a loved child again, if you didn’t also drool over me and try to make moves when I’m particularly needy.” Viktor knew that he had asked Chris to give Yuuri sex tips. Him and Chris discussed this before and after the fact, because Yuuri was inexperienced and Viktor wondered if Yuuri would be less embarrassed to ask questions when not trying to impress his lover. It wasn’t that their sex was bad, they loved each other-it’s just that Viktor knew it could be a whole lot better.  
Despite several interruptions and bumps in the road, Viktor could tell that he had gotten Yuuri worked up. Yuuri took off his jacket while they were kissing.  
The thermometer started to go off, so Yuuri propped himself up on one arm and leaned over Viktor, getting a good look as he spread his fiancé’s ass and slowly pulled the thermometer out. Viktor watched as Yuuri attentively read the number, sat the thermometer down on the nightstand and cuddled back into Viktor.   
Yuuri groped Viktor’s ass and his chest a bit, so Viktor pulled Yuuri in even closer to his naked body.  
Something about Viktor’s freezing feet on his body and his cold hands squeezing at his boobs aroused Yuuri even more.  
“My exotic Yuuri~” Viktor moaned and let his nose run a bit as he sucked on Yuuri’s neck.  
As turned on as he was, Yuuri wasn’t completely sure what was happening. It was weird when Viktor referred to him like that, and even though they didn’t have to be at the rink, it was daytime and they couldn’t be in bed making love all day. He wondered if this was still just for him or if Viktor wanted this for himself for the most part.  
Viktor tugged Yuuri’s pants down, and Yuuri squirmed as he decided to just let it happen. He nearly pulled the drawer of the nightstand out as he grabbed a condom and ripped it out of it’s packaging. Viktor guided Yuuri on top of him as Yuuri fumbled through the sheets, looking for the bottle of lube he used earlier.  
Viktor bit his lip and focused on Yuuri’s face as Yuuri messily covered himself. Yuuri blushed as he looked back at Viktor, who was then caught off guard as he suddenly sneezed into his hand.  
“Ugh,” Viktor softly complained. “Yuuri, take care of me.”  
Yuuri tried to get a good rhythm as he started making love to Viktor, but his pacing was quick and sloppy as he worried about doing a good job. He was glad that Chris had shoved advice onto him, but now he was a bit more worried about how he was performing, as if he didn’t already worry about that enough. Yuuri didn’t have experience with anybody but Viktor! Yuuri knew that Viktor had other lovers in the past, and he didn’t want to hear about it and compare himself.  
Viktor sniffled and struggled to breathe as he let out a little moan, and then loudly sneezed. As he tightened up, Yuuri slipped out of him and came.  
“Oh,” Viktor nearly laughed. He still sounded stuffy.  
“That’s not it, is it?” Viktor teased. “I need more; I’m sick.”  
Confused, still horny, but not ready again quite yet, Yuuri blushed as his fiancé pulled him close and kissed his neck. Viktor’s nose was running.  
Yuuri bit his lip and laughed a bit as he pulled away. His head had been cleared a bit, and now he was concerned again about what exactly Viktor was planning.  
“So, should we just get up?” asked Yuuri, getting out of bed to deal with the condom and get dressed. “I mean, are you playing it up for me? Because it seems like you are, I just don’t really have another go in me yet and—“  
“Yuuri,” Viktor sounded annoyed. His head was aching and his swollen nostril throbbed.  
“Huh?” Yuuri asked, reaching out a hand to help Viktor get up. Viktor didn’t accept the offer.  
“Yuuri, I have a cold!” Viktor pushed his hair back, clearly trying to show off.  
“I know you’re a little extra stuffy, but you don’t hurt that much and have more energy than you let on, don’t you?” said Yuuri. “It’s just your allergies. I’ll be able to get it up again later and I’ll try to do better then.” Yuuri blushed a bit, embarrassed.  
Viktor sat up and stopped posing, truly frustrated now.  
“I’m ill, and in pain.” Viktor insisted. “My head feels horrible.”  
“I’m sorry, I just haven’t been able to tell how sick you are since you were mostly just trying to…you know…”  
“I’m under the weather, Yuuri.”  
“Listen, I know, just because your temperature’s perfect that doesn’t mean you feel well, I just wasn’t sure if you actually wanted attention that wasn’t just getting sexed up or not,” Yuuri looked up from the floor and made eye contact with Viktor. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t know what you were thinking. I’ll go get you some medicine.”

Yuuri brought back a couple of bottles of cold medicine from the bathroom. He often ends up bringing Viktor extra allergy medicine or ibuprofen in the morning. Even though Viktor’s the morning person and he usually feels much better once he starts moving around, he can sometimes need a push and prefers Yuuri tending to him when they wake up.  
Yuuri always feels sorry for Viktor when he seems too miserable to do anything for himself, but today Yuuri was sure that Viktor was capable of this. Tending to his fiancé it was just the right thing to do after misreading how horrible he felt. Viktor just wasn’t letting his cold get him down, and Yuuri felt like he should’ve known that. He was marrying a man who was wonderful at faking well.  
“Do you have any other symptoms or should this be good?” asked Yuuri as he opened a bottle in front of Viktor. “I feel like an ass.”  
His fiancé’s eyes were watering. His allergies didn’t want to make this any easier, apparently.  
“I’ll be fine,” Viktor gave a weak smile and swallowed the pills.  
Yuuri gave him a quick, apologetic kiss.  
“Let’s put some shorts on and stretch,” Yuuri offered a hand out to Viktor again, and this time he accepted. As they got dressed, Viktor stole Yuuri’s jacket and wore it himself. Yuuri smiled and got started on his morning routine of stretches.  
“Come on,” Yuuri beckoned. “Try to do some, too. You usually do a few with me. Just stop when it hurts.”  
“Yuuri. It always hurts.”  
“You know what I mean,” Yuuri didn’t want to fight. “Stop when it hurts too much.”  
As Viktor followed along, he scrunched up his nose uncomfortably.  
“Your nose running?” Yuuri offered a tissue, and Viktor took it.  
“No,” Viktor explained as he lightly blew his nose. “The sinus pain just feels close to that a lot…”  
Yuuri frowned and rubbed Viktor’s shoulder before taking the tissue back and tossing it toward the trash. Unfortunately, he missed, but Yuuri ignored it, planning on getting it later.  
Yuuri reached forward and tried to guide Viktor into his next stretch.  
“I know you know this is important to do and that it helps,” said Yuuri. “You’ve been doing hard stretches for skating all your life!”  
“But Yuuri, you don’t understand how many more times over it hurts to do this now,” Viktor sounded pitiful. “I’ve been injured.”  
“It’s physical therapy, baby. It should pay off in time,” Yuuri had a hard time forcing Viktor to follow along with him, though. He didn’t want to be at fault for anything, and he didn’t know if this would actually help.  
Viktor stretched a bit more, and then dramatically flopped down on his back.  
“I can’t,” Viktor insisted.  
“Already? Wow,” Yuuri started to mumble to himself about how pathetic Viktor was in Japanese as he continued his stretches on his own, and Viktor got more comfortable and started to answer messages on his phone.   
As Yuuri finished, he turned to Viktor and smiled.  
“Would a massage help?”  
“Yes,” Viktor moved onto his stomach, and Yuuri got to work with his strong hands.  
“Mm,” Viktor moaned. “Thank you.”  
“Of course,” said Yuuri. “I’ll always be here to do this.” Yuuri dug in deep and squeezed at his fiancé’s skin.  
“I just wish this helped more. And for longer,” Yuuri admitted as he pressed his hands on Viktor’s back.  
When Yuuri finished, he checked,  
“That good?”  
“Yes, my love,” Viktor sat up and kissed Yuuri.  
“Let’s take a shower together.”


	3. Growing Up

Viktor finished shaving as Yuuri got his hair in place and was ready for their day in.  
“Just a second,” Viktor promised, and Yuuri waited and watched lovingly as Viktor brushed his own hair. He smiled at Yuuri and looked back at himself, liking that he was being watched.  
“You are so beautiful,” said Yuuri. “Are you going to put on makeup?”  
“No, not today,” said Viktor. “We’re just staying in.”  
“When did you…” Yuuri started to blush. “First…start wearing makeup?”  
“When I was 16, maybe?” said Viktor. “It could’ve been earlier for competitions. Stage makeup, like I’ve done for you. Why? Are you interested in wearing it more?”  
“Not really, well, maybe,” Yuuri stammered. “How nervous were you when wearing it out for the first time?”  
“Yes, but I didn’t get out much. I felt safe doing it at Yakov’s rink. I did get in huge trouble when he noticed, though.”  
“Oh, you did?” Yuuri felt horrible for bringing it up. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to talk about it.”  
“Oh, it wasn’t like that,” Viktor said as he sat the brush down. “Not at all. I was living with him then, and I had been stealing his wife’s makeup every now and again. I tried to go heavier with the blush one day, and I used eyeshadow, plus that day I also used some lipstick that was a bit red, and well, it looked gaudy. He realised that I had it caked on my face once we were under the rinks bright lights. He grabbed me super hard and pulled me off privately to scold me. But honestly, I think everyone could hear his yelling. He made me wash my face and demanded to know who I thought I was. One of his whole, ‘you ingrateful brat, we took you in as our own, do you even think’ kind of speeches. He made me apologise to Lilia for not only using her makeup without asking, but for wasting it and looking like a slut. I think the ‘slut’ part was a bit uncalled for, but I can see why Yakov kept telling me that he would not have me looking like a ‘goddamned whore’ and he was embarrased for me that I left the house like that.”  
“That’s horrible,” said Yuuri. “Was it really that bad?”  
“Yeah, I really did waste it, and I think it’s best nobody can tell I’m wearing any makeup at all. Less is better,” said Viktor. “I know they punished me for a while, but eventually Lilia bought me makeup of my own and taught me how to use it!”  
“She taught you well,”  
“Yeah, once I also had to apologise to Yakov for calling him queerphobic when he was just trying to protect me,” smiled Viktor. “Do you miss my long hair?”  
“Uhh, yeah,” said Yuuri. “You still look great as is, but I did like it just slightly better. It matters to me more that you like how your hair looks.”  
“But I loved it long!” Viktor promised.  
“Does that mean you’ll grow it out again?”  
“Well, possibly. When I cut it, I was still pushing all of my limits to skate when my body was screaming in pain,” Viktor explained. “Skating is more important to me than how I look, so I wanted a more managable haircut, just in case the ease of it would encourage me to keep going a bit more.”  
“Did it make a difference?” asked Yuuri.  
“Well, yes. Some,” Viktor explained. “It took a lot of time to wash and brush. But it didn’t make a huge difference. I’m still glad that I did it, though.”  
“Me too,” said Yuuri. “I want you to be comfortable.”  
“Plus it surprised everyone,” smiled Viktor. “I got so much attention.”  
“It was quite a surprise…” said Yuuri. “I remember staring at photos and trying to decide if I liked it better that way or not.”  
“But…you did not…” Viktor looked away dramatically, and then quickly turned to grin at his fiancé. “If I grow it out again, will you take care of it?”  
“S-sure,” Yuuri blushed. “You’ll have to teach me how, but of course. I’d love to do that.”  
“It used to be so easy to keep up my appearances. I miss being a teenager,” Viktor looked at himself in the mirror again before turning to Yuuri to head out to the living room. “But at least I could just get comestic surgery like Lilia and stay pretty forever!”  
“What?” Yuuri followed by Viktor, shocked. “Viktor, you don’t need to do that!”  
Viktor just laughed and continued out to the living room.  
Well, at least he’s feeling better. Yuuri thought to himself.  
“Good morning, Yurio!” Viktor chirped as he went to sit down next to him on the couch.  
“Hey,” said Yurio. Makkachin walked up to him, and the teen pet her. She sniffed at the cat beside him on the floor curiously, and the cat allowed it.  
Yuuri pat the cat as he walked by, and jumped back in suprise as she scratched him.  
“Don’t be so rough with her,” Yurio glared at Yuuri and pet his cat to calm her back down.  
“I-I wasn’t, I just—“  
“Like this,” said Yurio.  
“Sorry,” Yuuri did a quick bow and spun around, only to stop noticing the bills on the table. He knew that Viktor was paying for Nikolai’s current treatment, but he didn’t realise how high the price was.  
Viktor probably wants the best for Yurio’s grandpa. Yuri thought to himself, hoping that he was getting extravagant care for what the cost was.  
“Woah!” Yuuri stumbled over Makkachin, who had suddenly gotten under his feet.  
“Sorry,” Yuuri pet the confused pup, blushing as he noticed the smirks on the Russian’s faces.  
Yuuri checked that there was water in the pets bowls and went to sit on the couch with the others. He held Viktor’s hand and Viktor gave him a kiss on the cheek. Makkachin jealously pawed at them. Viktor then let go of Yuuri’s hand and put his arm around his fiancé, loving that he was small enough to comfortably fit.   
In a flirty mood, Viktor turned and they rubbed their noses together, and then he kissed at Yuuri’s cheek.  
Yurio squished into his side of the couch a bit more and scrunched up his nose.  
Why do they have to come here to do that? They were just alone. But…How would men even have sex, anyway? He wondered, but then he quickly realised he absolutely did not want to think about it.  
Viktor and Yuuri continued to be affectionate, but as if to prove to Yurio that they could be more disgusting, Viktor’s nose startd to run on Yuuri’s glasses. Yuuri pulled away, embarrassed, blushing and stammering softly as he went to clean his lenses on his shirt.  
“Sorry,” Viktor apologised. Assuming Yuuri was mumbling in Japanese, he then added,  
“What are you saying?”  
“N-nothing, just…” Yuuri tried to explain. “Just making noises, really…” Yuuri could feel Yurio glaring at him and continued to blush.  
Right when Yurio was about to mind his own business and go back to his laptop, he couldn’t help but notice the adults switched jackets since he talked with Yuuri in the morning. He made another disgusted face and tried to forget about them, hoping they’d leave him alone again soon.  
Puma Tiger Scorpion hopped up onto Viktor’s lap for attention. She tolerated a bit more pressure than she likes as Viktor stroked her, but with one stroke too close to her stomach, she bit his hand.  
“You were asking for it,” Yurio said simply as the cat leaped down and ran off. “She’s not a dumb dog. She likes being pet one way.”  
“I guess I’m kind of picky, too.” Viktor said. “Potya and I are trying to figure each other out. Makkachin’s trying to be her friend, too.”  
Makkachin got excited and spun around quickly at her name, and she smacked her head on the table.  
“Makka!” Yuuri exclaimed. She panted and still happily came to them. As Yuuri pet her, he added to Viktor,  
“Both of you are a bit hard to figure out.”  
Viktor started to pet the dog, too, and he played with her ears and started to rile her up. As he spoke in Russian to her, he encouraged her to bark back to him.  
Yuuri jumped a little the first loud woof, and then pretended that he didn’t flinch.  
I’ve had my own dog before. Why does that startle me so much? He wondered. Viktor’s going to hurt his head more being loud like that and exciting the animals. Yurio’ s probably going to be yelling over the dog any moment now.  
Yuuri stood up to get a drink, and leaped back as the cat swiped at him from around the corner of the island.  
“ごめんね!” Yuuri backed up as Poya hissed. “We startled each other.”  
Yurio picked up a toy mouse from the floor with his feet and threw it towards Puma Tiger Scorpion to distract her away from Yuuri. She got close to the ground, wiggled her behind and pounced on it.  
As Viktor blew his nose, Yurio complained,  
“You’re more mucus than man,”  
Viktor laughed.  
“Perhaps,”  
“Don’t get your snottiness in my snapchat,” Yurio mocked as he posed in front of his phone and took a picture.  
“Who are you talking to~?” Viktor loudly asked.  
“Beka,” said Yurio as he dragged a cat sticker onto the picture.  
“Oooh!” The sudden loudness from Viktor made Yuuri jump a bit as he walked back into the room, and he nearly spilled the drink. He looked on the floor, unsure if maybe he did actually spill.  
Yurio scrunched up his nose at Yuuri who blushed, wishing he wasn’t so jumpy. He was a bit anxious, so it was extra bad today.  
“He’s just a friend,” Yurio insisted.  
“But he’s your best friend and he’s so kind,” said Viktor, not wanting to pick on Yurio too much. “Send one of Yuuri and I,” Viktor motioned Yuuri over.  
“Viktor, we don’t have to bother them—“  
“We’re just going to invite him over again!” Viktor insisted. He beamed as he posed with his fiancé.  
Yurio groaned but held out his phone to take a picture anyway.  
Yuuri let Viktor put his arm around him and made a victory sign while smiling uncomfortably.  
As Yurio put the phone back in his lap, Yuuri nervously admitted,  
“I never know how to pose in photos,”  
“Is that why you never take selfies?” asked Yurio. “I mean, I understand, but that’s sad. I thought it was just because you hate how you look.”  
Viktor laughed and leaned into Yuuri.  
“You’re getting better at taking selfies with me,”  
“Yeah, when you move my head a million times and tell me what to do.” Yuuri blushed.  
“It’s so sad. There are hardly any fun pictures of you as a teenager!” Viktor complained and clung onto his fiancé. “I want to know what you were like back then.”  
“I’m sure you can imagine what I was like,”  
“But I still don’t know as much about you as you do about me. You were paying attention my posts back then, and I still do throwback selfies all of the time to remind everyone,” Viktor pulled up his instagram and showed Yuuri. “Look at this one. It tells you all kinds of things about me!”  
“Oh my god, what are you doing?” Yuuri squinted at the picture. “Why do you have a weird picture like that? I don’t think I’ve ever seen this.”  
“If you’re a drunk teenager and practising stretches out near foreign landmarks, take a selfie!” Viktor smiled. “I had a flip phone back then!”  
“That’s ridiculous. You could’ve gotten in so much trouble!” Yuuri insisted. “Also, why did you need to take a picture?”  
“For fun, Yuuri!” Viktor insisted. “Memories!”  
“It makes sense to me,” said Yurio, pulling up his Instagram pictures. “After riding around with Beka after a concert, we found some cool graffiti so we just posed for a selfie. For the moment of it all, you know? We made sure his motorcycle was in the picture, too.” Yurio showed Viktor and Yuuri the photo.  
“For the moment, yes,” said Viktor. “But that’s just being punk. You’re not even by real art! You’ll never remember where that was.”  
Viktor turned to Yuuri and added,  
“My picture makes much more sense.”  
“Grafitti’s real art!” Yurio argued.  
“No, no,” Viktor brushed off the idea. “It would count if you were by the Eiffel Tower or something, but that’s ridiculous.”  
“It was a ridiculous scenario to start!”  
“Yurio, you’re holding beer cans on the back of a motorcycle in America,” Yuuri pointed out as he studied the photo. “You can’t give away that you’re breaking the law like that and…Is Otabek a good driver?”  
“He’s fine,” Yurio looked annoyed and embarrassed.  
“Now, I know it’s fun sometimes, but I do agree with where Yuuri’s taking this,” Viktor smiled. “I’d rather drive you 2 around, so just let me know if you ever want a ride!”  
“We’re fine on our own,” said Yurio. “We don’t need you.”  
“No, really,” said Yuuri. “It’s no trouble. I’d rather you had an adult take you.”  
“We’re plenty adult,” Yurio argued. “We’ll be fine.”  
“You’re not adults,” Yuuri frowned.  
“Are you worried that we’ll embarrass you?” asked Viktor.  
Yurio loudly argued something in Russian, and Yuuri turned to Viktor, concerned.  
“Yuri, we’re just looking out for you.” Viktor insisted, starting to get serious.  
Yurio continued to speak Russian.  
“English,” Yuuri reminded him. “I can’t help you if I can’t understand you.”  
“This has nothing to do with you! I’m talking to Viktor!”   
“No, no,” Viktor gestured over to Yuuri. “We’re getting married, and we make decisions together. You cannot try to get your way just through me.”  
“This isn’t about getting my way,” Yurio insisted. “It’s about you 2 thinking you can control me!”  
“All I said was that I’d give you a ride!” argued Viktor. “You should be thankful that we’re willing to do that! Nothing against Otabek’s family, but they’re probably not as willing to do things for him as we are!”  
“You are so full of yourself!”  
“And you are spoiled with your freedom! You spend all of your time doing exactly what you want to reach your goals!”   
“Listen, I don’t have to be here putting up with this. For the most part you guys are nice and all, but you’re starting to PISS ME OFF!”  
Makkachin got excited and joined in, barking.  
“This is ridiculous,” Viktor touched his temples. “Go to your room and clear your head. I’ll talk with you more about this later.”  
Yurio huffed and simply ignored Viktor.  
“Yurio, Viktor told you to do something.” Yuuri said softly.  
Viktor stood up and grabbed Yurio by his wrist, but the adolsecent just pulled away.  
“Don’t touch me!”  
“Can you straighten up?” Yuuri asked. “Viktor’s sick and doesn’t need this. You don’t know how much we do for you.”  
“He doesn’t seem like he’s fevering or anything,”   
Yuuri couldn’t help but find Yurio’s english cute, but he continued.  
“He doesn’t feel well, and —“  
“Yuuri…” Viktor touched Yuuri’s arm, wanting him to calm down.  
“Hey, he doesn’t need to validate this to you. We expect some understanding and compassion,”  
“I wasn’t trying to accuse you 2 of lying about him being sick, okay?” Yurio stood up. “Don’t be so sensitive. You’re reading into a stupid comment too much.”  
“We care about what you have to say!” argued Yuuri. “Your thoughts matter.”  
“Listen, I know Vikor’s been having problems and —“  
“Yuri. We’re done talking for now,” Viktor folded his arms. “Do what I said. We’ll talk about all of this later.”  
“Why don’t I get to know what’s going on around here?” asked Yurio. “I’m not completely unaware. I’m not a kid, Viktor!”  
“You’re acting like one,”  
“I’m acting like one? You never take me seriously!”  
“You need to change your attitude. You are being such a brat!” Yuuri scolded. “Stop talking back to us! You don’t need to have the last word.”  
“Fuck you, I don’t even care. Why would I be trying to associate myself with you any longer than I have to?” asked Yurio. “You’re so humiliating.” As Yurio finally turned to go to his room like he was told, he shoved Yuuri.  
Standing calmly, Viktor yelled,  
“YURI PLISETSKY. GET OVER HERE.”  
Yurio turned around with his hands in his pockets.  
“What is it this time, you old fuck?” asked Yurio. “You forget already that you told me to go to my room?”  
Yuuri stood absolutely still and watched as Viktor slapped Yurio with the back of his hand.  
“That was no way to behave,” said Viktor. Makkachin jumped up and down on the 2 of them.  
“You will apologise to Yuuri later,” ordered Viktor. “You’re grounded.”  
“So what? I wasn’t planning on going anywhere,”  
“Do you want your grandfather to hear about the trouble you’re causing us?”  
Not knowing what to do in an attempt to assert dominance, Yurio spit.  
“That was absolutely disgusting,” said Viktor, losing his poise a bit as he moved his hand to support his back. “That does add on to your punishment.”  
“What’s my fokken punishment, Viktor?” Yurio rolled his eyes and made a breathy sigh. He kicked the table while leaning backwards with his hands in his pockets.  
“Give me what’s coming to me,” Yurio grinned. “I’m not afraid of you. Why would I be?”  
Yurio, however, looked completely shook.  
“Sit down,” instructed Viktor. “Yuuri, can you give us some privacy? I think our selfish kitten deserves some for the little chat we’re about to have before I take disciplinary action.” Viktor folded his arms.  
Yuuri nodded, scared himself after seeing Viktor have to act so strict.  
“Y-yes, sir!”  
Yurio made a slight mocking noise at Yuuri as grabbed his coat, hurried outside and took out his phone to call his mother.


	4. Needing Advice

“Hello?” Hiroko answered. She hadn’t been awake long.  
“Hi, Mom,” Yuuri frowned. “It’s good to hear your voice. I need some advice.”  
“What’s wrong, Yuuri?”  
“It’s Yurio,” said Yuuri. “He’s testing me. He doesn’t appreciate us at all. He just acted like such a brat. He just wanted to see how much trouble he could get in. I thought Viktor was being terrifying, and it literally had to take that to make him stop. We tried so hard to be rational and understanding,”  
Yuuri then admitted,  
“And Viktor doesn’t feel well today.”  
“Yuuri, I’m sorry that Viktor’s been ill lately. That’s really difficult,” Hiroko apologised. “If you lived close, you know I’d help.”  
“It’s just a tiny cold and his back injury acting up,” Yuuri explained. “But he was so miserable when we first woke up, and I managed to not even notice he was sick at first. It’s hard to take care of my boys.”  
“Does Yurio have a cold, too?”  
“Oh, no, he’s perfectly healthy,” said Yuuri. “Thank god. But there’s no exuse for his behaviour.”  
“How are you feeling?” asked Hiroko.  
“I’m fine, Mom,”  
“Are you all nervous?”  
“Well, yeah.”  
“Did you take your fiancé’s vitals?”  
“He’s not running a temperature, we checked,” Yuuri was a bit embarrassed to talk about Viktor’s health around his mother, but he really needed her advice.  
“Ah, I love calling him your fiancé,” Hiroko gushed. “Yuuri, I’m so happy for you. You medicated him to shorten how long he has the sniffles, right?”  
“Yeah, I loaded him up on meds,” Yuuri promised. “God knows he can’t take care of himself.”  
“What’s the weather been like?” asked Hiroko. “Do you think that could be affecting anything?”  
“It’s been freezing, so I don’t know, maybe. It still doesn’t kill everything he’s allergic to, though.” said Yuuri. “Sometimes I think we shouldn’t be living here.”  
“Oh, Yuuri,” Hiroko sighed. “If you really wanted to come home, you know you’re always welcome.”  
“Thanks, Mom, but Yurio’s best living in Russia where he knows the language, and we’ve been watching him a lot lately. We’re not just going to abandon him or make him move so far away,” explained Yuuri. “His grandfather’s only a few hours down from here, and sometimes we fly up there on the weekends with Yurio to visit him in the hospital. If anything happened to Nikolai, we wouldn’t want it to be much farther away. This is already far enough.”  
“I know,” said Hiroko. “It’s not easy. But the offer still stands.”  
“Thanks. Fortunately, I’m lucky enough that Viktor has the mindset that the world is small and you can go places,” said Yuuri. “And I do think it might be best for Viktor if we came back to Japan, or I don’t know, maybe we could live in America and both be able to speak the language. Or the UK 5 hours over. His immune system has been so overactive since we moved here. It’s just too cold. I feel like I’m always trying to bring his temperature up or down. And I think the cold makes him ache more, but he won’t admit to it.”  
“And there’s also reason not to have him anywhere too hot,”  
“Yeah, whenever we spent too much time outside in Japan’s summers he ended up getting overheated, feeling ill and throwing up.” Yuri sighed. “But I just hate Russia. I hate pretending we’re something we’re not. I know when his romantic situations have been brought up he’s mentioned his ‘wife’ like I’m a woman. At the store the other day I was trying to figure out what medicine he told me to buy and caught myself explaining that my ‘wife’ was the Russian one when I couldn’t read the bottles.”  
“You were always so scared to be open about that to begin with,” said Hiroko. “It’s horrible that now you’re living with real reasons to hide it.”  
“I had plenty of reasons in Japan, too,” said Yuuri. “But I love him, and I wish we lived somewhere where I felt comfortable going to the doctor —“ Yuuri’s breathe hitched.  
“…with him,” Yuuri started to whine, “I probably shouldn’t go…” Yuuri calmed himself and continued.  
“Going and doing intimate things out is too risky. But, I want to know what’s going on with him and be able to hold his hand when they hurt him,” Yuuri explained. “He shouldn’t have me waiting somewhere down the street to coddle him after suffering alone. But, I don’t know how we could possible come up with a better situation here.”  
“Yuuri, he has had blood work done recently, correct?”  
“Yes…” Yuuri got even more upset. “Yes, mom…he had a doctor’s appointment last week.”  
“Oh, Yuuri, don’t cry. You don’t know anything yet, do you?”  
“No, Mom, but I know his back looks like it healed and he still can’t move comfortably,” Yuuri sniffled. “When we went in for a blood test they said that he looked healed, even. And it was so hard to convince him to go in. He doesn’t want to feel old. It has to be something bad to keep him from skating, though.” Yuuri took a deep breath.  
“Well, that is worrisome. He may be ill.”  
“Viktor’s had broken bones before,” Yuuri started to stumble through his explantion. “He didn’t actually skate with broken bones, but he’s skated in pain and with a high fever during a competition once, and while you could tell he was sick and hurting himself, he still did fantastic.”  
“He has always seemed to really push himself,”  
“And if we could get him medication, what if it takes a while to find what works? There might be all kinds of bad side effects. What if what we try makes him feel crazy or sicker?”  
“That happens, Yuuri,” his mother explained. “But you still have to try.”  
“Viktor Nikiforov is supposed to be a 5 time gold medalist and I have to pick things up from the floor for him, and he’s fatigued so often. Didn’t he seem to you like he often wasn’t feeling well in Hasetsu?” Yuuri asked.  
“Sometimes,” she admitted.  
“He doesn’t like to bring up sad stuff like that. We’re just really close now, and if he ever needs pity, he comes to me for it,” Yuuri let out a sad smile. “We tell each other everything.”  
“This is all awful, but maybe there are some easier things you could also try to change about your lifestyle at home,” Hiroko suggested. “Viktor drinks so much; that can’t help. He might be more alert in the mornings and have less smaller symptoms if he cuts back.”  
“He chooses to spend his money on alcohol, and it’s not a big deal,” Yuuri defended his fiancé. “He needs to take his mind off of…everything.”  
“It was just a suggestion,”  
“I know, I know,” Yuri felt embarrassed. “But he’s tried a lot of things. Believe me. He’s done his best to get better on his own and followed doctor’s orders after hurting his back. We’ve done everything we can, and if you do have new ideas, that’s wonderful, it’s just that…he should be able to drink….”  
“And that’s fine,” Hiroko promised. “I just want to help.”  
“Thank you, we need it; he seems so sick,” Yuuri complained. “Sometimes I’ll just come in the room and realise Viktor’s feeling off. And it’s like, oh, whatever’s wrong is clearly a major problem to him right now and neither of us know what to do about it at this second, and he’s just accepting it so he’s not even acknowledging it to me. It happens so often. Sometimes I kind of wish I’d get a bit more complaining because it’s sad to just count that as normal. If he’s in pain I’d like to be in a situation where he could just complain, ‘Yuuri, I feel horrible.’ And then I could help him.”  
“Until you hear back from the doctor about where to move forward, I think you just have to treat his symptoms while you try to figure out the cause to treat.”  
“Exactly,” said Yuuri. “And I’m always trying to find new details. I’ve been writing down what we eat and Viktor’s symptoms in hopes of finding a correlation.”   
Yuuri’s mind drifted off to how Viktor will tell him he “just feels sick” and Yuuri would ask him to try and describe the kind of sick he’s feeling. His fiancé would often give a little smirk and make him blush as Yuuri explains,  
“I just want to know what’s going on in your body to try and diagnose you.”  
Yuuri could hear Viktor’s voice in his head from the last time he asked the evening before.  
“Well, I just had a big twinge of pain in my back and got a bit dizzy,” Viktor explained, lain on the couch. “I lied down and my ears started ringing, but now the feeling of heat and exhaustion aren’t letting up…I feel very fatigued.”   
Hiroko started to speak again.  
“How long has it been since Viktor thinks he got sick?”  
“A bit after his back surgery before his last season,” Yuuri started to tear up again, and changed the subject. His mom didn’t know much of what to say to help him, and he knew it.  
“Yurio’s in trouble because he admitted to us that he took a picture drinking underage in America with his friend on a motocycle and put it on Instagram,” Yurio explained. “We tried to be nice about it and explain not to show proof of things like that, and Viktor offered that he can always give rides and that we prefer that. But he just completely went off on us and wanted to fight. Viktor’s inside lecturing him right now.”  
“Well, I don’t really understand computers enough to get exactly what he started with doing wrong, but it’s dangerous to do things like that in other countries, and you have to put your foot down if he talks back to you. He is very spoiled, and Viktor encourages it.”  
“I just don’t know why he acts like that,” said Yuuri. “Why does he say the things he does? Why be so disrespectful?”  
“He doesn’t understand the consequences yet,” Hiroko explained. “He thinks he can get away with it. He’s not meaning to hurt anyone.”  
“Why does he have so many tantrums, though?” asked Yuuri. “He won’t stop when he knows he’s in trouble.”  
“You have to punish him consistantly and keep up with it,” said Hiroko. “You can’t be lenient until he earns the benefit of the doubt back from you. He’s not afraid of you as is.”  
“But, that’s so hard,” complained Yuuri. “There always seem to be situations where we think we should change our minds. He can’t be grounded when we travel, or if Otabek is in town, and I don’t like taking his phone away when he’s anxious. Viktor’s always bad about letting him go out, and I’m always bad about giving him his things back when I’m worried about him.”  
“Well, sometimes it would make sense to lighten up,” said Hiroko. “But he still needs you to compensate and ground him at a later time if his friend is there from Kazhakstan.”  
“Usually it feels like the time has passed and he’s forgiven, though…” explained Yuuri. “Maybe you’re right.”  
“Forgive him. Always forgive him, and as early as you like,” Yuuri’s mother instructed. “But you have to make him learn not to act like that.”  
“Alright,” Yuuri heard a small thump in the background on the line.  
“I’m very proud that you’re working so hard to take care of Yurio,” Hiroko smiled.  
“He needs someone to raise him,” Yuuri blushed. “His grandpa can’t really do that full-time anymore.”  
“It sounds like Viktor’s working to be more attentive to him, too.” Hiroko commented.  
“Yeah, he is,” Yuuri promised. “He loves kids, it’s just taking time for us to know what to do and when it’s fine to just leave him to his own devices. He is a teenager, after all.”  
“I can’t wait to see how much better you two are at this next time you visit,” Hiroko laughed. “Your father and I did nearly everything for Yurio when Viktor first became your coach. It was more like we gained 2 more children with them staying here.”   
“Mom,” Yuuri laughed uncomfortably. “I guess you’re right, though…”  
Hiroko giggled.  
“Viktor didn’t have Yurio over much back then,” said Yuuri. “He didn’t even think to do more than scold him, give unsolicited advice and make sure he goes to sleep and wakes up on time. Thanks for your help.”  
“You’re welcome, Yuuri.”  
“Now Viktor clearly tries to mimic Lilia for parenting and choreography, and Yakov for coaching.”  
“I still haven’t gotten to meet Lilia yet,” said Hiroko. “I don’t know much about her outside of seeing her on TV.”  
“Well, she only speaks Russian, and she can be pretty intimidating.”  
“Is that so?”  
“She seems really strict, but Viktor said she’s really just loud and isn’t actually that scary. Apparently she doesn’t mean much by anything,” said Yuuri. “I wonder if maybe Viktor and I are just way too supportive of Yurio. I mean, he’s supposed to question authority at his age.”  
“He is,”  
“It could be that he tries to be rebellious, but Viktor supports him anyway, so once he finally pisses Viktor off, things have really gotten out of control,” explained Yuuri. “And I’m glad that he’s made a friend; Viktor says that he’s never had friends before because he’s been sheltered, is shy and so focused on skating, but sometimes he’ll diliberately disobey us when out with Otabek.”  
“Do you know if something stressing Yurio could be causing behavioural problems?”  
“Definetely,” Yuuri immedietally answered. “He’s one anxious kid. There’s a lot of pressure on him to be the best. And I understand. But Viktor and I think he might have some serious issues…Viktor had some major problems when he was Yurio’s age, and we all-including Yakov and Lilia-think the exact same thing is starting to happen to Yurio.”  
“What helped Viktor get passed it?”  
“He’s not sure. He said he just kind of grew out of it for the most part,” Yuuri sighed. “Luckily.”  
“What exactly did Viktor go through?” asked Hiroko. “Do you know? Would it be alright to tell me?”  
“It’s hard to explain. With Yurio, I can tell he just sort of…checks out. Like he’s not even there anymore. Like he’s just watching himself do what he thinks he’s supposed to do.”  
“While I still stand by what I said about needing to be strict, you do need to rememeber to be patient and try to help Yurio with his anxieties.”  
“Okay. Viktor…He acts like he doesn’t really know what was wrong with him as a teenager. He never got help or anything, and it’s hard for them to put it into words. He’s read a lot about personality disorders,” Yuuri tried to explain. “They don’t trust getting professional help, and I understand.” Yuuri couldn’t help but start to dwell on why he doesn’t get help anymore. After an awful nonvoluntary past hospitalisation that forced him to drop out of a season and mostly quit smoking, he never thought that he could trust anybody like that again. It made it more difficult for him to talk to his family, and he could barely tell Viktor how he feels.  
“I’ve read a lot about behavioural problems due to mental illness —“  
“I’m sorry,” Yuuri interrupted his mom out of embarrassment. “I caused you a lot of trouble when I was in high school with my attitude problem.”  
“Yuuri, it wasn’t your fault, you were going through a lot.”  
“Thanks, Mom. You probably need to get to work, right?” Yuuri asked. “I can let you go now. I’ll talk to you again soon.”  
“Alright. Goodbye, Yuuri.”  
Yuuri hung up and reached into his inner coat pocket for his lighter and pack of cigarettes.  
Yuuri lit a cigarette and started smoking. After a few puffs, the door started to open. Yuuri quickly hid his cigarette down between his body and the banister, ready to put it out if it was Yurio at the door.  
Viktor closed the door behind him and Yuuri put his cigarette back to his lips. Makkachin begged and barked, looking at them out the window. From inside, they could hear Yurio yell,  
“Shut up!”  
Viktor stood next to Yuuri, saying nothing while the dog accepted that they weren’t letting her out. Viktor put his hands on the banister and looked out into the distance with his fiancé, who was clearly much more comfortable with not making eye contact and showing him how upset his expression was at the moment.  
“I hate having to do that,” Viktor said once they were in silence.  
Yuuri didn’t say anything.  
“Shotgun it to me,” Viktor requested.  
“No, Viktor,” said Yuuri. “You don’t tolerate cigarretes well. They make you ill.”  
“But it’ll be hot,”  
“No, you already don’t feel well.” Yuuri refused.  
“Awwww,” Viktor complained.  
Yuuri rubbed his fiancé’s back. He felt Viktor tense up as his breath hitched and he sneezed, his nose irritated by the smoke.  
“I’m sorry, I don’t wanna make you-well, I’m not trying to make you have an allergy attack,” Yuuri tried to explain. “Not while we deal with this, and not while you don’t feel well. I just wanted to calm down a little.”  
Viktor was silent as Yuuri breathed out more smoke.  
“Someone’s starting puberty,” Viktor said as Yuuri inhaled again.  
“Yeah,” Yuuri said as he let the smoke out.  
“Such a bad kitty today,”  
There was another pause while Yuuri smoked, and then Viktor worriedly asked,  
“Are you mad at me?”  
“Why would I be mad at you?” asked Yuuri.  
“Yakov and Lilia always get mad and say it’s my fault when he acts like that,” Viktor frowned. “Apparently I have to punish him. With love. It’s for his own good, apparently. I’m not so sure. It doesn’t seem to hurt anything for me to give in to him. Yurochka’s hormonal!”  
“Sometimes I think he has trouble knowing when you’re serious that he needs to shut up,”  
“Lilia’s always telling me, ‘I ought to smack you both!’,” said Viktor. “But at least she knows the Katsuki’s taught him a few good habits when he stayed in Hasetsu with you. He does a more thorough job cleaning up after himself when he’s told. Not perfect, but better. And he raises his voice a little less often.”  
“Really?” asked Yuuri. “I thought they must hate me like Yurio does.”  
“Oh, Yuuri,” Viktor frowned. “First off, Yurio does not hate you.”  
“Then why does he treat me like that?”  
“He just doesn’t know how to express his feelings. He thinks he needs to be tough,” explained Viktor. “But they all appreciate you being here for us.”  
“I guess my family put me on Yakov and Lilia’s good side,”  
“They love you!” Viktor insisted. “You take care of us. Although…they didn’t like you at first, and Yurio’s shit talking sure didn’t help.”  
“Yeah…”  
“But now Yakov’s like, ‘Thank god that Japanese boy is there to wipe Viktor’s nose’.”  
“Oh my god,” Yuuri nervously chuckled. “You’re right. Ugh, that sounds so bad.”  
“You’re right, that does sound bad,” Viktor laughed. “But he’s actually only mocking me,”  
“And I know Yurio’s not a bad kid or anything,” said Yuuri. “I just didn’t think he’d accepted me yet.”  
“He’s a good boy,” said Viktor. “He really worried about my health. He’s been showing more and more compassion lately.”  
Yuuri nodded as he took another drag.  
“Also,” Viktor gave a weak smile. “The sweet kitten already knew that I was ‘old and stiff’ now, but it was in Hasetsu when we bonded with him first showing worry in more than just making a quick expression and looking away.”  
Viktor frowned.  
“I must’ve kept him up tossing and turning. My back was really bothering me and I kept getting up through the night to try more alcohol to distract me enough to fall asleep. Usually that’s no problem for me!” Viktor turned serious again. “But, I was worried that you didn’t like me anymore, so that was a lot of why I was still up.”  
“I’m sorry,” Yuuri apologised. “I didn’t remember. I shouldn’t have drank so much. I know I have a problem.”  
“I like drunk Yuuri,” Viktor smiled. “You were just intimidated by me. Now, that night, Yurio slipped out of his ‘room’ and got into bed with me. He sleepily asked if my back hurting was keeping me up and stroked it before falling asleep in my bed next to me. So cute.”  
“Adorable,” Yuuri nearly wanted to cry. He felt the urge to go in and make up with Yurio right that instant.  
“And please don’t worry about Yakov and Lilia. They adore your parents. Those 2 honestly didn’t think I could take care of myself when alone in a new country, so they credit Yurio and I still being alive to them and you!” Viktor made a dramatic gesture with his hands. “Seriously. I’d had a lovely apartment for years! They underestimate me. I’m not a child anymore. But they keep telling me to be a better parent and get even more annoyed when I explained that ‘I think Yurochka sees me more like an elder brother’,” Viktor smiled. He kept giving light touches to his right nostril with a tissue every now and again, being gentle with his sore nose. It was constantly (but not visibly) leaking.  
“Sometimes they think his fits are funny, too,” said Viktor. “They’ll talk about how Yurochka’s partially modeled himself after me and Yakov will say, ’That’s some lip. I wonder where he gets that from’.” Viktor scoffed, and Yuuri let out a small smile. Viktor continued.  
“Lilia says, ‘It’s not good for your Yuri’s to let him act like that. Just throw a shoe at him or use your hairbrush if you’re too exhausted’!”  
“Are you going to tell on Yuri?”  
“God, no,” said Viktor. “But maybe I will suggest to Yakov that it’s getting closer to when he needs to give him a talk about puberty, да?”  
Yuuri decided to just say,  
“うん,” because he didn’t want to have to give Yurio “the talk” either. They were quiet for a bit, and then Yuuri promised,  
“I’m not chain smoking. I talked to my mom for a while first.”  
“Did she have any new punishment ideas?”  
“She mostly just talked about how to punish him. Being consistant, not giving him a complete free pass when we are lenient for whatever reason, making him still be punished later in another way and whatnot.”  
“Hm,” said Viktor. “Well, he has a lot of chores this week until we think he’s had enough, and if he wants his things back before then, he has a lot of homeschool progress to show. So, technically, he’ll have his computer, and we’ll need to look over his shoulder and make sure he’s doing what he’s supposed to.”  
“We can go with that this week, but I think that’s the opposite of what she meant. I think we need to have end dates that we stick to on his punishments. And Viktor?” Yuuri looked in his fiancé’s eyes. “I don’t think we should use homework as a punishment.”  
“But it’s not really a punishment,” Viktor tried to explain. “He just has to do good on it to get his fancy technology back. How would we get him to do his work otherwise?”  
“That’s a problem for another day,” Yuuri breathed out smoke that made Viktor sniffle even more.  
“Well, he’s in trouble now. We’re doing good,” Viktor said more to himself than his fiancé. “And I think I upset him trying to talk some sense into him, so I bet he’s in there thinking about what he’s done. Soon he’ll realise how horribly he affects everyone. Even Makkachin whined when seeing us fight.”  
“She didn’t need this drama, either,” Yuuri took a drag. “My mom asked if you’d had a blood draw recently.”  
Viktor touched Yuuri’s shoulder.  
“We already have so many problems,” said Yuuri. “And it’s not just me that’s worried about this. What are we going to do —“  
Viktor quickly stroked Yuuri’s cheek and made him turn to him.  
“If—“ Yuuri started again, and Viktor thumbed over Yuuri’s bottom lip. Yuuri shuddered.  
“ああー”  
Viktor passionately kissed his nervous fiancé.  
“We’ll deal with it together,” Viktor promised.  
Yuuri finished his cigarette with Viktor beside him, trying to breathe through his mouth. Viktor’s nose twitched and he sniffled wetly.  
Yuuri put his cigarette out on the banister, and then he reached into his jacket’s outer pocket. He pulled out a packet of tissues and pressed one to Viktor’s nose while feeling his cheek with the back of his other hand.  
“Ow, Yuuri, be gentle,” Viktor complained. “My nose hurts. Don’t make me wonder why I convinced you to be comfortable with nose blowing.”  
“Blow,” Yuuri instructed, a bit too fed up with the actual child to let Viktor act like one.  
“My nose hurts,” Viktor was getting a bit whiny, so Yuuri softly but firmly insisted,  
“Blow, I know you get when you sound like that. You get postnasal drip and vomit. It’s much better if you just stop it here.”  
Viktor blew his nose into his fiancé’s hand, who shivered and smiled.  
“You’re not well,” Yuuri tried to be more comforting and regain his composure from earlier in the day. “Maybe you should go lie down.”  
“It’s just a cold,” said Viktor, knowing Yuuri didn’t want him to exaggerate when he was already so upset and stressed out.  
“It is just a cold, but you, in general, are not well, and you deserve to take a rest whenever you want to,” Yuuri pouted. “Yurio took the attention from you. Let’s go inside. Being outside with me having a cigarette can’t be good for your allergies.”  
The two walked inside, and as they opened the door, Yurio looked back at them over his shoulder while cleaning a stack of dishes.  
“How about a drink to take the edge off?” suggested Viktor.  
“I can’t daydrink,” Yuuri quietly insisted with a slight laugh. Viktor was a horrible influence on him, but he wasn’t manipulated as easily as he used to be. Phichit almost instantly got Yuuri into drinking in college. It was easy with the added knowledge that his idol, Viktor, posted drunk antics online all the time. It looked so cool and like so much fun.  
“Well, I can,” Viktor snuck his hand back to give Yuuri a little grope.   
Yuuri squeaked.   
“Come. I want you to relax,” Viktor promised. “You play a game in our room, I’ll drink and watch.”  
Yuuri covered his mouth so he wouldn’t laugh as Viktor got into the fridge. As Viktor mixed himself a Screw Driver, he whipsered in Yuuri’s ear,  
“We’ve got to take our mind off of things and become happy again to be the best parents we can be, да?”


End file.
